Short Haircuts for Women: 40 Styles, From Pixies to Wolf Cuts

Jagged ends all over and bangs chopped to sit right on the brow. The choppiness is what keeps it from looking severe, since nothing ends in a hard line. Work a little paste through with your fingers and push the bangs slightly to one side.

The longer cousin of the pixie Audrey Hepburn wore, with a fringe that sweeps down to the cheekbone. The sides stay tidy around the ears while the top has enough length to move. It’s a gentle first step if you’re nervous about going very short.

Too long to be a pixie, too short to be a bob: the bixie sits happily in between. Choppy layers do the work, and the ends feather out rather than stopping in a line. It suits you if you want short hair that still tucks behind an ear.

Layers everywhere, worn a little undone on purpose. The bangs are cut into pieces and fall where they like. Towel-dry, rake in some texture spray and leave it.

Bangs that stop well above the brow give this pixie its attitude, and Zoë Kravitz has made the look her own. The rest is cropped close and neat. It puts your eyes and cheekbones on display.

One side is clipped close underneath, and the other keeps its length and sweeps across the face. Wear it swept over and the undercut hides; tuck it back and it’s on show. It’s two haircuts in one.

A light color shows every layer in a pixie, so the cut and the shade work together. Halle Berry’s pixie is the one people bring in. Budget for toner as well as trims, since pale blonde and silver shift warm between appointments.

Short sides and a single long bang that swings across the forehead. Keep the sides tight and the bang heavy so the two read apart. For pixies on natural and relaxed hair, from tapered cuts to TWAs, see our guide to short hairstyles for Black women.

One line, right at the chin. It frames the face without any layers to style. On straight hair it looks polished; on a little wave it looks relaxed.

The French bob falls somewhere between the jaw and the cheekbone and almost always comes with bangs at the brow. Wear it a bit undone, as if you’ve just walked out of a café. Air-dry it with a little cream and let the ends bend.

Short, stacked layers at the back push the volume up, and the front falls longer toward the chin. The stacking is what gives the back of your head that rounded shape. A round brush and a dryer bring it out.

An inverted bob runs shorter at the back, and the longer front pieces frame the face down to the chin. From the side it curves in close at the nape. It needs a round brush and a blow-dry to keep the curve.

One length, glossy, and straight as a ruler, with or without full bangs. The shine does most of the talking, so a flat iron and a drop of serum finish it. On relaxed or silk-pressed hair, wrap it at night to keep the line.

One side falls longer than the other, and the front sweeps down past the chin. From the short side it looks neat and close at the nape; from the long side it reads as a bob. On relaxed or straightened hair the line stays crisp, so keep it flat-ironed and wrapped at night.

The ends are cut into points instead of one line. It grows out gently, because there’s no sharp edge to lose. Rough-dry it and pinch the ends with a little wax.

Waves right at the jaw, with enough texture that the bob looks soft rather than sculpted. If your hair already has a bend, this is the cut that shows it off. A wand or a damp braid overnight gives it waves if yours is straight.

The wolf cut starts its choppy layers high at the crown and tapers into longer ends, and Jenna Ortega’s version is the one most people screenshot. It has more volume on top than a shag. Scrunch in texture spray and let it go wild.

Short on top, longer at the nape: the mullet side of the wolf cut turned up. Miley Cyrus has worn it messy, and that’s how it’s meant to look. Keep the length at the back and the top cropped and textured.

Curls fill out every layer, so the wolf cut shape shows even more. The bangs are curly too and sit just above the eyes. Use a curl cream on damp hair and diffuse.

Face-framing layers and a full, round shape: this is the shag, cut short. The bangs blend straight into the layers. It’s a friendly cut for fine hair that wants to look like more.

Soft, feathered layers with lift on top, so the cut has movement from every side. On thick hair it takes out weight; on fine hair it adds body. A round brush sets the flicks.

Curls left long on top and cropped at the sides and nape. The height lives at the crown, so the shape is tall rather than wide. A light curl cream and fingers are all it needs.

The sides are clipped close and the curls sit on top, so the whole thing looks sharp. The undercut keeps the shape even as the top grows. Refresh the sides every few weeks.

Curls that end at the jaw, cut so the shape stays round instead of triangular. Diffuse, scrunch and walk away.

A curly fringe and plenty of layers make this shag bounce. The bangs sit just above the brow once the curls spring up, so cut them longer than you think. Style with a leave-in and a diffuser.

Tight curls on top and tapered sides make a neat shape that holds for weeks. It’s quick to wash and style. Define the coils with a cream or a gel and let them dry.

Close all over, an inch or less, so your face does all the talking. Florence Pugh took hers all the way to a buzz cut. It dries in minutes and needs almost nothing but regular trims.

A bob on top, with one side clipped short underneath. Wear the hair down and the undercut disappears; tuck it behind your ear and it’s there. It also takes out bulk if your hair is thick.

Undercut sides and a bleached top, with the contrast doing the work. The top can be swept forward or pushed up. Plan on toner and regular root touch-ups as well as trims.

Pushed up and piecey, with short layers that stand on end. A matte paste holds it and keeps the spikes separate. It grows out gently into a softer crop.

Layers at the ends give fine hair movement it wouldn’t otherwise have. The length at the chin keeps the ends looking full. A volumizing mousse at the roots does the rest.

Choppy layers and lift at the crown make fine hair look thicker. A short cut also means less weight pulling the roots flat. Rough-dry it with a little powder at the roots.

The weight sits at the back, where the stacking builds volume, and longer front pieces soften the face. It’s a good shape for fine hair that goes flat at a single length. Blow-dry the back with a round brush.

Thick hair wants weight taken out, and the bixie’s layers do exactly that. Bangs soften the front. It stays full without puffing out at the sides.

Graduated at the back so the bulk sits where you want it. Internal layers stop the bob turning into a triangle. A smoothing cream and a blow-dry keep it tidy.

The stylist thins out the pixie so it breaks into pieces instead of sitting like a helmet. It’s easy to style with a little wax. Book trims often, since thick hair loses the shape fast.

Natural gray and a cropped pixie look sharp together, as Judi Dench has shown for years. Short layers keep it light. A purple shampoo once a week stops the gray going yellow.

Soft layers and a side-swept fringe make a bob that frames the face without a hard line. Layered bobs are among the cuts women over 60 ask for most. Blow-dry the ends under with a round brush.

Curls left to do their thing, cut short enough to hold their shape. Gray curls can be drier, so a curl cream helps. Diffuse or let it air-dry.

Short, feathered layers add lift and lightness where hair thins with age, and Jamie Lee Curtis is the reference. The crown stays high. A little mousse and a quick blow-dry set it.